You will spends months, maybe years writing, editing, and rewriting your book. When all of that is done, you can release your work into the world with just a few clicks on Lulu.com. For some authors the work stops there, but successful authors know that’s when the real work begins. How will you make your book visible in a marketplace full of books? How will you get your book onto the bestseller lists? Where will you find the time and the money to market your book to your audience?

For most authors, marketing a new book will likely be more challenging than writing it. To help you focus your efforts, we asked 4000 of our bestselling authors how many hours a week they spend marketing their books.

The majority of best selling authors (61%) dedicated five hours or less to book marketing each week. 16% — about one out of every six — said they spent 5-10 hours a week on marketing tasks. Only 25% of these authors said they spend more than ten hours a week marketing their book to their audience.

How much time can you invest?

Let’s face it, authors would rather be writing than marketing. It’s what you are good at, but without a marketing plan, your book will simply gather digital dust on some online bookshelf.

By breaking marketing tasks into small steps, you can make them more manageable, regardless of your time constraints. If you only have five hours a week, work in blocks of one to two hours. Keep plugging away until every item on the list below has been researched and completed:

On an ongoing basis, spend one hour on each major bookselling site polishing up your book’s description and appearance

Reach out to potential reviewers on the big bookselling sites. Aim for at least 20-30 reviews for your book

Don’t give up. As one author said about marketing, “It’s hard work! But it’s also essential for the author to relentlessly promote a new book for at least 18 months after publication.”

Phew! … Sounds like a lot or work, right? Well, put in just five hours a week and you’ll be further along than you’d think. And – here’s the best part – you’ll also be closer to making enough sales to brag about on your Facebook page.

Action item

Schedule one hour every weekday to promote your book.

Key takeaway

Once you have everything set up, marketing shouldn’t require as much of your time. The majority of successful independent authors spend 5 hours or less per week on marketing.

In previous articles we have discussed the two the key components of marketing your book (knowing your audience and knowing your book). Now we can talk about how to drive sales through the use of marketing tactics, which is a fancy way of saying that people need to be able to find you and your book on the internet.

We asked 4000 of our bestselling authors about their most effective methods of reaching their audience and encouraging book purchases.

These authors credited their website with the lion’s share of their sales. When you combine the website-related responses with “email list” and “search engines,” you see that almost half of an author’s traffic and sells can be credited to their website(s).

To further highlight this finding, think about your own behavior. What’s the first thing you do online when you want to learn, do, or purchase something? You search for it. Then you browse the websites listed on the search results page. If you’ve ever searched for a company, person or event online and been unable to find any information, you probably gave up or got distracted by other things. From your own experience it is easy to see that the harder you are to find, the less likely you are to sell your books. Hence the importance of having a website to market your books.

In addition to websites, authors also mentioned social media as a tool for generating sales. Of all the available social media marketing techniques, having a Facebook page was overwhelmingly the most often cited way to sell books. We saw similar results earlier in our discussion of distribution strategies.

Action items

Create a website for your book using a simple tool like WordPress.com.

Make it easy for people to sign up for your mailing list with a free service like Mailchimp.com.

Sizzling Summer Savings! The Hottest Deals of the Season! Best Book Ever Written, Get It Now and Save!

The words you choose to promote your books and new releases are all yours, but you should also be taking advantage of Lulu.com’s weekly sales and special offers. To help you with your marketing, our site discounts are now being offered for up to one week making it easier than ever to share them with your readers.

Why should you be using email promotion? For starters, email marketing works. Social media may seem like the savvier approach, but email is roughly six times more effective at bringing in new buyers than Facebook and Twitter. Email also gives you a great platform for sharing special offers and introducing new books, without your carefully crafted message getting lost in the endless scroll of tweets, status updates, and ever-changing social media display algorithms.

To place your order, simply click this link: <Placeholder for link to book>, then click Add to Cart and apply the code at checkout.

This discount is for a limited time, so don’t wait.

Order today and save!

<Link to book>
<Author name>

**Don’t forget, coupon codes are case-sensitive.

See? Simple. You highlight the current savings, briefly describe the book, and provide easy instructions. It’s low-pressure, informative and brief. You can even provide a link right to your book’s product page and save your readers from searching. If you have multiple titles, include a link to your Author Spotlight page to encourage shoppers to browse your catalog. Everyone wins when your readers shop in the Lulu bookstore. They save money and you earn higher revenues.

Though we are currently in the middle of the summer reading season, this strategy works year-round. At Lulu.com, we’re always looking for ways to help you promote and sell your books. Whenever we have a sale — seasonal or otherwise — send out an email blast letting everyone know. After all, it’s always the season for reading!

Current discounts, coupon codes, and expiration dates are always listed on the Lulu home page: www.lulu.com/home

On completing catering school I pursued a career in the hospitality industry, which required me to leave my beautiful France. I traveled quite a lot, working in both England and America. Sixteen years ago, I returned to the Channel Islands and settled in Jersey.

During my travels, I encountered and worked with incredible people. I learned so much and had so many ideas and stories I wanted to tell. Then I thought if I was to write a book, not only could I easily reference the information myself, but I could also share what I had learned with others.

Three people encouraged me to start the book: My business coach, who basically kicked me in the backside and said let go of your fear of failure, your fear of writing and get on with it. Second was my business consultant who told me if he could publish a book on Lulu.com, so could I. And lastly a friend who taught me some “techie” tips and tricks.

As I finished up the writing, I began working with a marketing agency to help with the book title, the cover illustrations and the synopsis. Since I wanted to sell the book, I knew all of this had to be done professionally. We looked at things such as catchy titles and bright covers that could be seen in the middle of 100’s of other books. Being French and writing in English, professional editing of the book was also a must. I was very lucky to have the support of an editor who had the task to read and edit 418 pages.

I also thought it would be a great idea to try to get celebrity endorsements. Again, I was very lucky to get recommendations from two customer service experts. Once this was done and pricing structures for the print and eBooks had been worked out, it was time to upload the final version of the manuscript. Then I pressed the publish button… it was a scary and thrilling experience. Incredibly, two days later, the books were delivered and I felt like a kid opening a Christmas present. Wow, the book was so big and so bright. It was such an amazing feeling to hold my very own book.

But the journey didn’t stop there, I visited local retailers and managed to get Thrive with the Hive on WHSmith’s and Waterstones’ shelves. The Chamber of Commerce and a local coffee shop also agreed to sell copies. You can now also find it at the Jersey Library. I have found that marketing is an on going effort that has be constantly managed with press releases, social media, radio and newspaper interviews.

The book has now been sold in 13 different countries and I am about to sign an agreement for Thrive with the Hive to be translated and published in Korea. All of this is just amazing!!

Now I see that my publishing journey is only just starting. My book is now my big business card and has inspired me to create a new online course: “Deliver Exceptional Customer Service.” I am also developing a speaking program to help businesses thrive by delivering buzz worthy customer service.

So, I tell you what, if I can do it, so can you… what are you waiting for??

About the Author

Originally from France, Claire Boscq-Scott has lived in Jersey, Channel Islands, since 2000. Capitalizing on her experience gained in the hospitality industry, she founded, The Busy Queen Bee in 2009. To learn more, visit her site at: www.thebusyqueenbee.com.

Thrive with the Hive is her very own view for delivering customer excellence. Her book focuses on 10 “buzzes” to deliver consistently exceptional customer service resulting in an unforgettable experience for every customer who walks through your doors.

We asked 4000 of our top selling authors about their marketing plans and what they think mattered most to their success. Here’s what they had to say:

Key Takeaways

Positioning your book and understanding your audience are key to success. Offering an attractive printed book as well as an eBook version online to generate word of mouth interest and validation via customer reviews should be your goal.

What Should You Do?

Prepare your book in eBook and print formats

Get a professionally designed cover for each format of your book

Focus on building reader reviews and incorporate them into your book cover, book description and website.

Intern Susan

Summer Intern: Susan Z.

As an international student, I enjoy learning about different cultures and Lulu has employees from all over the world who support international markets. In the Lulu office you hear different languages spoken everyday. I also appreciate the company culture. One of the things I noticed on my first day at Lulu was the relaxing work atmosphere. Employees always have a smile on their face. I can tell they enjoy working here. They are like friends and family. Not to mention that at Lulu you will never get hungry because the kitchen is always full of “Lulu” snacks including my favorite granola bar, fresh fruits, and all the homemade treats people bring to share. At Lulu, it’s all about sharing.

During my internship I also learned how to step out of my comfort zone. What makes you a little uncomfortable at first is often an opportunity to learn a new skill. For example, I was a bit nervous when I learned I was to work on a project using WordPress. During the process, not only did I learn how to use the software, but also learned about CSS (Cascading Style Sheets). I was surprised to find that coding and CSS are things that interest me. As a Fashion and Textiles major , I never thought this would be an area in which I would have an interest, but with my supervisor’s encouragement, I am now taking online coding classes.

Although this internship has come to the end, I cannot thank Lulu enough for having brought me on board. It was great to be a part of the Lulu team. During my time here, I got to see how a company operates and learned how to handle multiple projects, work across several departments and manage my time effectively. I also got to participate in department meetings, workshops, team training and community volunteering.

I believe my experience at Lulu will be beneficial to my future career path. And, now I actually know the difference between an ISBN and an ISNI .

Intern Chris

2016 Summer Intern: Chris A.

When I interviewed with Lulu for an intern position, I was admittedly nervous. The main purpose of the internship was to assist Lulu in obtaining B Corp Certification. I was a supply chain major with an interest in sustainability, but not much experience with B Corp or sustainable business practices. I was a bit worried about how much would be expected of me and whether I was capable of meeting those lofty expectations.

Little did I know that there was absolutely no reason to be worried. Lulu is an awesome company. I was given my own desk and treated with the utmost respect the entire time I was here. I was not simply a lowly intern doing busy work that nobody else wanted to do. I was able to work on important projects that would have a notable effect on the business going forward. At one point, I pitched my project proposals to the Vice President and the CEO. It was truly an invaluable experience and one that I certainly would not have gotten at many other companies.

Perhaps the coolest thing about Lulu, which was very apparent even during my interview, is how great the people are. The company culture is almost unrivaled. It is a friendly and comfortable work environment filled with great people and a common goal; make the world a better place. I am truly, truly thankful for the opportunity to have worked at Lulu and I cannot thank everyone at Lulu enough for everything they have done for me.

Many bestselling authors pick their topic or approach to a topic specifically because they know it will be of interest to their audience. The pairing of those two strategies – targeting an audience and delivering a unique message – is what sells books. As one author in our survey said, “We wrote the book for a specific market giving them information we knew they needed.”

In the marketing world, this is called positioning – understanding your audience and explaining why your book is uniquely suited to their interests. You might also think of it as “finding your niche.” Once you’ve found your niche, you’ll have a clear, easily articulated understanding of what your book is about, who it’s for, and how it fits into the existing body of published books within your domain.

Here’s an exercise for you. Entrepreneurs are often challenged to come up with an elevator pitch for their business. An elevator pitch is a short, interesting way to explain what value your product offers to the world in the time you’d have in an elevator with someone. It must be concise and informative and inspire the person you’re speaking with to take action to learn more.

To show how powerful a good elevator pitch can be, let’s play a game. Below are four elevator pitches for best-selling books, presented as though they were new books on the market.

Western meets suspense meets a Tarantino-esque hit man. A cowboy stumbles upon a drug deal gone bad, takes the money, only to find thathe’sbeinghuntedbya relentless killer.

~~~

Hearts will race for the tween girl who would risk her soul for the everlasting love of the vampire version of James Dean.

~ ~ ~

If you love puzzles, religious symbolism and a great crime mystery, you’ll hang on every action-packed moment as our hero decodes his way across Europe to uncover an ancient secret, zealously guarded by a clandestine society that will stop at nothing to protect it.

~ ~ ~

What if dinosaurs could be cloned? For the child in all of us that still marvels at T. Rex in the natural history museum, this novel set in the modern age tells the story of an adventure theme park whose proprietors have brought dinosaurs back from extinction.

See how just a few sentences can create interest in a book for the reader? That is the power of positioning. That is the power of knowing your book, your audience and how to bring them together.

What Should You Do?

Develop and practice a concise pitch for your book that entices readers to learn more. Always have a few business cards on hand with your contact and website information. Practice your pitch on members of your target audience. Edit the pitch based on their reactions.

Crafting your elevator pitch

The formula for an elevator pitch is simple:

1. Explain in your pitch who will like your book.

2. Share one simple hook that will draw the reader in.

3. Provide a proof point that your book is good. In our case, it was sharing that all of these pitches are blockbuster films. You can use things like reviews from readers or the press, or your own expertise and credibility in the topical area.